PULLMAN - Washington State University mascot Butch T. Cougar has been announced as a member of the 2009 Capital One Mascot Challenge, and fans can vote to make Butch the Capital One Mascot Challenge Champion.

Butch, one of 12 mascots selected to this year's All-American Mascot Team, won the competition in 2006, and was also a member of the team in 2005.

Voting begins Aug. 31, and will run through December. Fans can view Butch's featured video now at www.capitalonebowl.com.

Butch was selected for the team based on a highlight video made earlier this year. He was judged on his interaction with fans, originality, creativity and professionalism. In addition, his pedigree - awards earned in the last five years - played a role in his selection.

WSU encourages fans to bookmark www.capitalonebowl.com starting Aug. 31, so they will remember to vote for Butch as many times as possible. Butch's fans can vote multiple times per day, and Capital One does not collect names, addresses, or email addresses from anyone who casts votes.